I miss writing. Alot. Journaling is all well and good, but there's something about creative writing. I get excited about it! So, here's to a year of doing what excites me. It's time for a change.
Okay, so my post is going to accomplish a few things: first, it should open up an opportunity for everyone else to post. Second, it's going to place the forces going after the city of Tolos about a day north of their destination. Third, I hope this will get the thread moving again lol. Wish me luck!
Another question...so, in order to reach Tolos, our ships would have to go north around Samnidall, correct? How long would that take? Like a month? Or are we just having them land in the Etruscan League and sneak over to Tolos?
"Imagine your gift is like an ice cream shop employee. This employee has decided today she wants her once-a-month free ice cream cone. Because her boss is a stingy prick and doesn't believe in employee discounts. Anyways, your channeling mantra, or simply mantra if you prefer, awakens your gift and tells it what you wish to accomplish. It is the force that opens the door to the shop and chooses the flavor of ice cream you want. Only these flavors can set someone on fire or send a spear of crystalline darkness through steel. But what, you might ask, is ice cream without a cone? Your foci acts as the cone, channeling your gift in a concentrated, yet forceful, manner. That way ice cream doesn't go everywhere and no innocents are harmed. The last step is, of course, scooping the ice cream out of the tub. That requires a concerted effort of willpower and physical vitality, which is why a Marked One's mind and body must be well-maintained. Without a keen mind and a body capable of expending vast amounts of energy, your powers will not work as they should. Also, you should know that I love ice cream and will make references to it throughout this text. Shall we begin?"
-Quote explaining "Crowley's Method" found in the grimoire of the Curious Mr. Crowley
Name: Samantha “Sammy” Raynor, had her name legally changed to Kelsey Smith in 2022
Age: 31 years old
Gender: Female
It’s hard to believe the exhausted, overweight brunette calling herself Kelsey Smith was once one of the most beloved psychogeneratives in both America and the United Kingdom. Samantha, or Kelsey depending on who she's talking to, looks like she’s been through a war. Standing at 5’8” and weighing nearly 220 pounds, the tanned woman has completely let herself go, though her hair and teeth are in remarkably good shape. For whatever that’s worth. The thirty-one year old wears her hair long in hopes of framing her round, doughy face in the best way possible. An adorable button nose, once the envy of women across the world, stands out as one of Samantha’s few redeeming features. Her pale blue eyes also have a certain pull to them. There is a weariness, and no small amount of fear, lurking in the gaze of the woman they used to call the Masked Magician. Even her puffy features can’t conceal the look of guilt etched across her face, and her overall physique suggests this is someone who saw something that nearly broke her. Maybe it should have. Moving past Sammy’s ample bust, a sizable gut has taken up residence around the former superheroine’s midsection. Wide hips and flabby, cellulite-studded legs ending in oddly dainty feet complete the image of a woman who no longer understands the meaning of the words “discipline” or “moderation.” Typically, Kelsey can be seen wearing whatever clothes she has on hand, which means wrinkly t-shirts that barely fit and sweatpants covered in old stains.
Occupation: Unemployed and sharing an apartment with her father
Location: Orlando, Florida, United States of America
Gina Raynor-Trevon-Samantha's mother, a greedy opportunist who constantly projected her own desires onto her daughter, she expected Sammy to be perfect in every way and punished her for the slightest missteps, wanted her daughter to become an Olympic gymnast like she almost was, became her daughter's agent and manager when her popularity as Kazara was at its zenith, Gina then quietly copyrighted and trademarked anything to do with her daughter's alter ego, after Sammy fled Alien War 1 Gina exposed her daughter's secret identity to the world and divorced her husband, she also told Samantha she could no longer use the name Kazara, Gina currently lives in Los Angeles, California and is the chief consultant for Redwood Studios' trilogy of films based around Kazara's career, the first film Kazara: The Beginning was released on January 13th, 2024 to excellent reviews
Thomas Raynor-Samantha's father, a timid and unassuming man often overshadowed by his more driven and aggressive wife, was briefly in the spotlight once his daughter's secret identity was revealed, had no interest in becoming a media sensation and quickly faded into obscurity, Gina divorced him soon after, found Samantha in a homeless shelter after the events of AW1 and rented a small apartment with her in Orlando, currently lives with his daughter and is trying to be a better father
Alistair Crowley, also known as the Gray Man and the Curious Mr. Crowley (Deceased)-A skilled British Marked One who trained both Samantha Raynor and Stefan Anderson, came up with the term "Marked One" to differentiate between various types of psychics, a person possessing pyrokinesis would be referred to as someone "marked by fire" or a flame-marked, created "Crowley's Method" to spread his beliefs about being careful with one's powers and not hurting civilians, practiced hemokinesis and electrokinesis while serving in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Divisions, encountered Samantha as a child and started her down the path that would lead to her becoming Kazara, after an argument the Gray Man dismissed Sammy in 2021 and they didn't reunite until AW1, Alistair died towards the beginning of the conflict
Stefan Anderson, also known as White Hat (Missing, Presumed Deceased)-A British Marked One who studied under Alistair Crowley alongside Samantha Raynor, wore a white top hat no matter where he was or what he was doing, skilled in hydrokinesis and was working on mastering his chlorokinesis abilities before AW1, never officially accepted into any divisions despite his close ties with both the Gray Man and Kazara due to his obsession with fame, Sammy's best friend and many American and British gossip magazines believed they were a couple, vanished after Alien War 1 and is believed to have died alongside his mentor
Pyrokinesis-Samantha Raynor is a Marked One, meaning she's a psychic with a very specific set of abilities. She cannot move things with her mind or read another person's thoughts. What she can do is control certain elements of the world around her through sheer willpower. Sammy is capable of wielding the forces of shadow and flame thanks to her innate gifts. Utilizing her pyrokinesis, the stronger of her two powers, the Masked Magician can control any source of fire she wishes and, if given enough time, can create flame from nothing. This is obviously more draining than using an existing fire. Fireballs, pillars of blue flame, and even wreathing herself in a crackling aura of fire are all abilities in Sammy's repertoire. She's also completely flame resistant. One of the foci she owns, the Ring of Flames, allows most of her pyrokinetic abilities to melt through anything short of solid steel.
Umbrakinesis-Besides pyrokinesis, Sammy was also born with the ability to manipulate shadows with her thoughts. She can force pools of shadow to harden into a durable substance known as crystalline darkness, which is sharp enough to pierce tank armor. One of her most well-known and useful umbrakinetic talents is the shadow disc, which creates a manhole-sized disc of crystalline darkness that can fly Sammy to any location she desires. It became Samantha's primary form of transportation between the United Kingdom and America during the peak of her fame. Another ability the Masked Magician has tried to master, but hasn't performed successfully, is the so-called shadow step. This power allows Sammy to step from one shadow to another as long as she can see her intended destination. However, this involves passing into what the superheroine could only describe as "the deepest darkness I've ever seen" and she was terrified of it. The Curious Mr. Crowley was trying to alleviate Sammy's fear before their falling out in 2021. The Ring of Shadows, a mighty foci given to the Masked Magician by Alistair Crowley, further amplifies the psychogenerative's impressive talents.
Power Sensing-Like all other Marked Ones, Samantha can sense when other psychogeneratives are within one mile of her current location. She cannot tell what gifts these individuals might possess, but she knows they have them. This talent has served her well throughout her life despite its limited range. Especially when it came to evading former members of the Sixth Division. Sammy's power sense cannot be blocked except by a psychogenerative with a power specifically intended to cloak their gifts.
Other Skills-Has a high drug and alcohol tolerance, one of the finest cooks in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Divisions, was trained from a young age as a gymnast and can move well for a woman of her size, trained in basic hand-to-hand combat by White Hat but is out of practice
Whether it's food, drugs, or fame, Samantha has always struggled with self-discipline and resisting her gluttonous impulses. After spending time in rehab, she's largely kicked her drug habits, though the former superheroine does get intense cravings every now and again. Sammy also never quite got over her need for alcohol, and she drinks as often as she is able. This habit becomes more pronounced during moments of intense stress or emotional turmoil. Regrettably, this has led to her becoming substantially overweight, and it's difficult for her to engage in extended periods of physical activity. In addition, she's constantly tormented by horrific dreams of AW1 and the Curious Mr. Crowley's demise. It's rare for Sammy to sleep more than a few hours a night unless she's blackout drunk. Lastly, the way Samantha was raised makes her easy to manipulate and her guilt over past events has only made this worse.
Samantha Raynor's life began in the usual way. Born on March 5th, 1993 to Gina and Thomas Raynor, she seemed destined to be nothing more than the daughter of an anxious, meek father and a bullying, loud-mouthed mother. Gina's dream was to have her daughter become an Olympic gymnast like she'd almost been. And nothing would stop her from making this vision a reality. Sammy's days were filled with school, homework, and a rigorous training regimen intended to keep her in the best condition possible. In truth, the young girl was more interested in reading stories and watching old news reports about the activities of the famous Second Division. She must have watched The Fall of the Cult of Desecration, a movie depicting the division's battle against Desecration, at least twenty times before she was eight.
It wasn't until her ninth birthday, when her family was visiting Plant City to enjoy the Florida Strawberry Festival, that everything changed.
In the festival's lackluster midway area, Sammy found herself drawn to a game of four cup shuffle run by a gray-haired man with horn-rimmed glasses and a warm smile on his face. The stranger introduced himself as the Curious Mr. Crowley, a tourist from London hoping to taste the sweetest and juiciest strawberries in the world. And to eat as much strawberry ice cream as he could stomach. There was an immediate bond between this charming British man and the inquisitive Sammy, and she was eager to try her luck at four cup shuffle. The rules were simple. Four cups and two rings. All the nine-year old needed to do was figure out which cups had rings underneath. Shockingly, she guessed correctly. His eyes twinkling merrily, the Curious Mr. Crowley handed Samantha her prizes: an octagonal ring of the finest onyx and a hexagonal ring of citrine. The Ring of Shadows and the Ring of Flames. Clasping the child's tiny hands in his large, scarred ones, the elderly Englishman told Samantha he was quite pleased and, if she still wanted to be a hero, he might be able to help her. He would send her a letter when she was older and wait for her response. If she was no longer interested then she needn't reply.
Time passed as it always does and the Third Division, in what was to be their finest hour, ended North Korea's dreams of conquest during World War III. With her mother focused on sending her to a college that wouldn't interfere with gymnastics, Sammy's life didn't feel particularly different. And then she received a letter from the Curious Mr. Crowley on July 5th, 2011. According to this letter, Samantha was a "Marked One," a psychic with specific but formidable abilities. Abilities that could change the world around her in ways both great and small. The Curious Mr. Crowley wanted to train the young psychogenerative and possibly submit her to the newly formed Fourth Division as a potential member. In light of the recent war, Samantha's parents were concerned about sending her outside the United States to meet some man she barely knew. Surprisingly, it was Gina who, after reading the letter several times, declared this might actually be a brilliant idea. Sammy was ecstatic, but her father was concerned. In all their years of marriage, Gina had rarely changed her mind...unless she stood to benefit in some way.
Despite her father's misgivings, Samantha boarded a plane and flew to London to meet Mr. Crowley at his palatial estate outside the city. He introduced her to his only other student, the glory-obsessed but dashing Stefan Anderson, and gave the young psychogenerative his grimoire, which contained a list of mantras and techniques to help her channel her abilities. Alistair explained that Sammy was "marked by flames and shadows," and the rings he'd given her as a child would strengthen her powers. There was a method, however, called "Crowley's Method," that would separate Samantha from all the other superheroes and heroines with psychic abilities. It was simple but vitally important. First, you speak a channeling mantra, a phrase composed of psychically reactive words, in order to awaken your gift and delineate what you want to accomplish. After the mantra was spoken you would channel your willpower through your foci. The Rings of Shadows and Flames served this purpose admirably. Forcing a torrent of psychic energy through these objects was safer than simply lashing out with raw, uncontrolled power, though it was also harder. Thus, a Marked One needed to have a sharp wit and a healthy body in order to properly use their abilities.
Samantha remained in London for two years until the winter of 2013 when a group of Marked Ones attacked Walt Disney World of all places. Supposedly, an ancient and powerful foci was hidden beneath Cinderella's Castle, and the so-called Hidden Cabal intended to claim it for themselves. Unfortunately, the Fourth Division was too busy trying to deal with the re-emergence of the Cult of Desecration to attend to this minor issue. Deciding to test his new students, the Curious Mr. Crowley, accompanied by Stefan and Samantha, flew to the United States to deal with these rogue psychics. The Emerald Witch, Voldo, and the savage He Who Watches All were defeated and imprisoned after a lengthy battle, which ended with Walt Disney World closing for nearly twelve years. Still, the Curious Mr. Crowley, Stefan, and Samantha prevailed. It was after this momentous conflict, which became known as the Battle of Walt Disney World, that the Gray Man gave Samantha her "hero name" since he knew she didn't want her true identity to become public. For her family's sake. He dubbed her Kazara the Masked Magician after the woman who'd opened his eyes to his own gifts.
After Sammy briefly returned to the United States in 2014 to reunite with her parents the Curious Mr. Crowley presented her to the Fourth Division. Desperate for aid against the Cult of Desecration's madness, the leaders of the group accepted her, though the Gray Man also convinced them to let Samantha continue training while assisting the division. Despite realizing all her dreams, however, something changed as Kazara returned to London to resume her education. The media swarmed all over this mysterious young woman in a silver mask and, despite the warnings and rebukes of her mentor, Samantha fell headfirst into the dangerous mire of television talk shows, commercials, and partying with celebrities. Stefan, her closest friend at this point, nurtured this behavior and ensured she enjoyed every event she attended. After all, Kazara's popularity was doing wonders for his own reputation. As her following in London increased, Kazara often rode on her shadow disc between England and the United States alongside her master and Stefan to help the Fourth Division deal with the Cult of Desecration.
Then the Fourth Legion disbanded after the world realized what Sung Jin Lee had done.
While hiding in Mr. Crowley's estate to avoid persecution, Kazara received a surprise visit from her parents. Gina told Sammy she needed to come home. Not because she was afraid of what might happen if someone found out her daughter was a psychogenerative. No, Gina was convinced the Masked Magician could change the opinion of the entire United States. She was a fresh face, more known in England than in America, and this might be enough to show the world not all psychogeneratives were like Sung Jin Lee. After agreeing to try it and accepting her mom as her talent agent, Sammy nervously returned to the United States, leaving a furious and worried Mr. Crowley behind. Surprisingly, Gina's father and several of his close friends were movie producers at Redwood Studios. They were already talking about making a trilogy of movies about this new psychogenerative, an untainted soul standing strong in the face of Sung Jin Lee's brutality and lack of commitment to justice. Commercials, more talk shows, and constant partying became the norm for Samantha once more. While the overall attitude towards gifted men and women didn't change, the viewing public saw this lovely, charming new superheroine as a beacon of hope in these dark times. If Kazara was popular in London she was revered in certain parts of the United States, especially Florida and California. Of course, the stress of being a psychogenerative celebrity in a time when her kind were barely tolerated drove Kazara to embrace excess. Slowly but surely, her lifestyle began to take a toll on her body and her mind. While she eagerly joined the Fifth Division when it formed in August of 2018, Kazara's priorities were painfully obvious. She was more interested in her new status as a cultural icon than helping people.
Encouraged by her mother's reassurances, Samantha gradually stopped caring about anything except her reputation. The Curious Mr. Crowley visited her often and tried to continue training his wayward pupil, though a brutal argument ended their relationship in 2021. And then the aliens came.
All Fifth Division members, now called the Sixth Division, gathered to combat the alien menace and Kazara was forced to go. What would her adoring public think if she didn't participate in the coming battle? The fighting progressed slowly and horribly. Each day saw the loss of more and more division members, which took a serious toll on the Masked Magician's psyche. While she'd been peripherally involved with the war against the returned Cult of Desecration, this was different. This was personal, and Sammy lost many dear friends to the invaders. It wasn't until that final, awful battle in Canada that Samantha Raynor realized just how far she'd fallen. Mr. Crowley and White Hat were pinned down by several aliens, calling out for Kazara to help them. She flew towards them on her shadow disc and...stopped. Fear, mind-numbing and complete, washed over her, and the aliens obliterated the Curious Mr. Crowley. With a scream of terror and guilt, Samantha fled for her life and didn't stop until she was back home in Orlando. That was Kazara's contribution to Alien War 1.
After her less-than-triumphant return home, Sammy realized things had changed while she'd been away. Her mother, a cruel smirk on her face, told her daughter she intended to divorce Thomas. Furthermore, Gina had also taken the rights to the name and image of Kazara away from her out-of-control brat of a daughter. Gina's grin grew even wider as she opened the door to the family home, revealing a living room packed with eager reporters. Reporters who now knew Kazara's true identity. The name "Samantha Raynor" quickly became a byword for cowardice, the consequences of excess, and what it meant to fall from grace. Traumatized by this and other recent events, Samantha checked herself into rehab and emerged in 2022 only to find herself penniless and forgotten. The world only cared about Kazara and what she represented. Nobody cared about the woman behind the mask. Out of desperation, Sammy reached out to an old contact in Washington and was able to change her name to Kelsey Smith. She dyed her hair brown and did her best to hide from the world as well as any remaining division members.
A few weeks later, however, her father found Sammy in a local homeless shelter and offered her a place to stay. For the next two years, Thomas tried to help his shell-shocked and despondent child get back on her feet. Sadly, the loss of Mr. Crowley and the realization of her own cowardice scarred Samantha deeply. While she avoided doing drugs, Sammy quickly fell back on her oldest, dearest vice: drinking. Now, in 2024, the thirty-one year old psychogenerative finally feels ready to try moving on with her life. The key word being "try." Even as the public celebrates the release of Kazara: The Beginning in theatres, Samantha is doing her best to forget the past. To lock it away just like she locked away Mr. Crowley's grimoire and her two rings.
Divisions Involved With: The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Divisions
Name/Title: Kazara the Masked Magician, will eventually become known as Torchlight due to her mother's ownership of the name Kazara
Before giving up her life as a superheroine, Kazara's costume consisted of a blue gymnast's leotard, black slacks, and black boots. She also wore a dark blue hoodie from time to time, and her face was hidden behind a smiling silver mask. The psychogenerative never allowed her face to be seen in public no matter how drunk or high she was. Luckily, Stefan Anderson, also known as White Hat, was willing to help her maintain her secret identity despite his love of the limelight. Of course, the Masked Magician would be nothing without her two foci, the Ring of Shadows and the Ring of Flames. The Ring of Shadows could always be found on Kazara's right index finger while the Ring of Flames adorned her left. Since moving in with her father, however, this costume has lain untouched in the bottom of "Kelsey Smith's" closet alongside a locked strongbox containing Alistair Crowley's grimoire and the two rings.
The Ring of Shadows-An octagonal ring made of pure onyx, which is one of the most psychically reactive materials in the world. Alistair Crowley claims to have found this potent foci inside an Egyptian tomb deep within the Valley of the Kings. Since the Gray Man only possessed the gifts of hemokinesis and electrokinesis, he kept the ring safely locked in a vault beneath his London estate until he stumbled upon a nascent Marked One who was "marked by shadows." That Marked One was a young Samantha Raynor. The Curious Mr. Crowley gave Samantha the ring and trained her in its use over several years. While wearing the Ring of Shadows, Sammy's innate ability to psychically manipulate shadows is greatly strengthened and she can actually create shadows where there aren't any. This is a very draining process, however. Without the boost provided by this foci, the Masked Magician must use whatever naturally occurring shadows are close at hand. It should be noted that Samantha can still use umbrakinesis without the Ring of Shadows. The foci just makes her already formidable gifts more potent.
The Ring of Flames-A dull, hexagon-shaped citrine ring that once belonged to the monstrous villain known only as He Who Watches All. The Curious Mr. Crowley took this foci from the hideous psychogenerative in 1990 during a raid on his stronghold in Germany's Black Forest. This ring was also given to Samantha Raynor by the Gray Man when she was young since he was incapable of using it. Utilizing its power, the former superheroine's gift for controlling fire with her mind is amplified, and any flame under her control turns a brilliant shade of blue. She can also conjure flame from nothing, though this is much harder to do than using a readily available fire. Again, Samantha is still capable of astonishing pyrokinetic feats when not wearing the Ring of Flames.
Alistair Crowley's Grimoire-A black, leather-bound journal containing pages and pages of notes about everything from channeling mantras to a delicious recipe for fried chicken. This book was given to Samantha Raynor by the Gray Man when she first visited him in London. Crowley's Method is also thoroughly explained in the crinkly, yellowed pages of this chapbook. Essentially, imagine trying to bend a spoon with your mind. Instead of pummeling the spoon with your telekinetic abilities, the Curious Mr. Crowley believed it was necessary to meditate until you discovered a mantra for bending objects. Then and only then could you bend the spoon. Over the years, Sammy added her own mantras and thoughts to this journal, though she hasn't touched it in over two years.
Trademarks: Smiling silver mask, one orange and one black ring
@Palindromatic Really? Darn...lol. Thanks, Palindromatic. I'm glad you like my girl and hopefully she won't be TOO much of a burden to the Seventh Divison. :) Hopefully lol. I'll put her in the other thread after I get off work.
EDIT: Also, when you have a moment, you can add her to the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Division rosters. The Curious Mr. Crowley should also be part of these divisions.
@Palindromatic Just wanted to let you know that only the Curious Mr. Crowley and Kazara were involved with the divisions. White Hat, also known as Stefan Anderson, was too worried about public opinion and fame so he never officially joined. I apologize for the confusion, but I think it suits Stefan's character better. He did, however, join the Sixth Division as an honorary member to help fight the aliens.
"Imagine your gift is like an ice cream shop employee. This employee has decided today she wants her once-a-month free ice cream cone. Because her boss is a stingy prick and doesn't believe in employee discounts. So, your channeling mantra, or simply mantra if you prefer, awakens your gift and tells it what you wish to accomplish. It is the force that opens the door to the shop and chooses the flavor of ice cream you want. Only these flavors can set someone on fire or send a spear of ice through steel. But what, you might ask, is ice cream without a cone? Your foci acts as the cone, channeling your gift in a concentrated, yet forceful, manner. That way ice cream doesn't go everywhere and nobody dies. The last step is, of course, scooping the ice cream out of the tub. That requires a concerted effort of willpower and physical vitality, which is why a Marked One's mind and body must be well-maintained. Without a keen mind and a body capable of expending vast amounts of energy, your powers will not work as they should. Also, you should know that I love ice cream and will make references to it throughout this text. Shall we begin?"
-Quote explaining "Crowley's Method" found in the grimoire of the Curious Mr. Crowley
Name: Samantha “Sammy” Raynor, her name was legally changed to Kelsey Smith in 2022
Age: 31 years old
Gender: Female
It’s hard to believe the exhausted, overweight brunette calling herself Kelsey Smith was once one of the most beloved psychogeneratives in both America and the United Kingdom. Samantha, or Kelsey depending on who she's talking to, looks like she’s been through a war. Standing at 5’8” and weighing nearly 220 pounds, the tanned woman has completely let herself go, though her hair and teeth are in remarkably good shape. For whatever that’s worth. The thirty-one year old wears her hair long in hopes of framing her round, doughy face in the best way possible. An adorable button nose, once the envy of women across the world, stands out as one of Samantha’s few redeeming features, though her pale blue eyes also have a certain pull to them. There is a weariness, and no small amount of fear, lurking in the gaze of the woman they used to call “The Masked Magician.” Even her puffy features can’t conceal the look of guilt etched across her face, and her overall physique suggests this is someone who saw something that nearly broke her. Maybe it should have. Moving past Sammy’s ample bust, a sizable gut has taken up residence around the former superheroine’s midsection. Wide hips and flabby, cellulite-studded legs ending in oddly dainty feet complete the image of a woman who no longer understands the meaning of the words “discipline” or “moderation.” Typically, Kelsey can be seen wearing whatever clothes she has on hand, which means wrinkly t-shirts that barely fit and sweatpants covered in old stains.
Occupation: Unemployed and sharing an apartment with her father
Location: Orlando, Florida, United States of America
Gina Raynor-Trevon-Samantha's mother, a greedy opportunist who constantly projected her own desires onto her daughter, she expected Sammy to be perfect in every way and punished her for the slightest missteps, wanted her daughter to become an Olympic gymnast like she almost was, became her daughter's agent and manager when her popularity as Kazara was at its peak, Gina then quietly copyrighted and trademarked anything to do with her daughter's alter ego, after Sammy fled Alien War 1 Gina exposed her daughter's secret identity to the world and divorced her husband, she also told Samantha she could no longer use the name Kazara, Gina currently lives in Los Angeles, California and is the chief consultant for Redwood Studios' trilogy of films based around Kazara's career, the first film Kazara: The Beginning was released on January 13th, 2024 to excellent reviews
Thomas Raynor-Samantha's father, a quiet and unassuming man often overshadowed by his more driven and aggressive wife, was briefly in the spotlight once his daughter's secret identity was revealed, had no interest in becoming a media sensation and quickly faded back into obscurity, Gina divorced him soon after, found Samantha in a homeless shelter after the events of AW1 and rented a room with her in a small apartment outside Orlando, currently lives with his daughter and is trying to be a better father
Alistair Crowley, also known as the Gray Man and the Curious Mr. Crowley (Deceased)-A skilled British Marked One who trained both Samantha Raynor and Stefan Anderson, came up with the term "Marked One" to differentiate between various types of psychics, a person possessing pyrokinesis would be referred to as someone "marked by fire" or a Flame-Marked, created "Crowley's Method" to spread his beliefs about being careful with one's powers in order to avoid hurting civilians, practiced hemokinesis and electrokinesis while serving in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Divisions, encountered Samantha as a child and started her down the path that would lead to her becoming Kazara, after an argument the Gray Man dismissed Sammy in 2021 and they didn't reunite until AW1, Alistair died towards the end of the conflict
Stefan Anderson, also known as White Hat (Missing, Presumed Deceased)-A British Marked One who studied under Alistair Crowley alongside Samantha Raynor, wore a white top hat no matter where he was or what he was doing, skilled in hydrokinesis and was working on mastering his chlorokinesis abilities before AW1, never officially accepted into any divisions despite his close ties with both the Gray Man and Kazara due to his obsession with fame, Sammy's best friend and many American and British gossip magazines believed they were a couple, vanished after Alien War 1 and is believed to have died alongside his mentor
Pyrokinesis-Samantha Raynor is a Marked One, meaning she's a psychic with a very specific set of abilities. She cannot move things with her mind or read another person's thoughts. What she can do is control certain elements of the world around her through sheer willpower. Sammy is capable of wielding the forces of shadow and flame thanks to her innate gifts. Utilizing her pyrokinesis, the stronger of her two powers, the Masked Magician can control any source of fire she wishes and, if given enough time, can create flame from nothing. This is obviously more draining than using an existing fire. Fireballs, pillars of blue flame, and even wreathing herself in a crackling aura of fire are all abilities in Sammy's repertoire. She's also completely flame resistant. One of the foci she owns, the mysterious Ring of Flames, allows most of her pyrokinetic abilities to melt through anything short of solid steel.
Umbrakinesis-Besides pyrokinesis, Sammy was also born with the ability to manipulate shadows with her thoughts. She can force pools of shadow to harden into a durable substance known as crystalline darkness, which is sharp enough to pierce tank armor. One of her most well-known and useful umbrakinetic talents is the shadow disc, which creates a manhole-sized disc of crystalline darkness that can fly Sammy to any location she desires. It became Samantha's primary form of transportation between the United Kingdom and America when she became a celebrity. Another ability the Masked Magician has tried to master, but often failed at, is the so-called shadow step. This power allows Sammy to step from one shadow to another as long as she can see her intended destination. However, this involves passing into what the superheroine could only describe as "the deepest darkness I've ever seen" and she was terrified of it. The Curious Mr. Crowley was trying to alleviate Sammy's fear before their falling out in 2021. The Ring of Shadows, a mighty foci given to the Masked Magician by Alistair Crowley, further amplifies the psychogenerative's impressive talents.
Power Sensing-Like all other Marked Ones, Samantha can sense when other psychogeneratives are within one mile of her current location. She cannot tell what gifts these individuals might possess, but she knows they have them. This talent has served her well throughout her life despite its limited range. Especially when it came to evading former members of the Sixth Division. Sammy's power sense cannot be blocked except by a psychogenerative with a power specifically intended to cloak their gifts.
Other Skills-Has a high drug and alcohol tolerance, one of the finest cooks in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Divisions, was trained from a young age to be a gymnast and can move well for a woman of her size, trained in basic hand-to-hand combat by White Hat but is out of practice
Whether it's food, drugs, or fame, Samantha has always struggled with self-discipline and resisting her gluttonous impulses. After spending time in rehab, she's largely kicked her drug habits, though the former superheroine does get intense cravings every now and again. Sammy also never quite got over her need for alcohol, and she drinks as often as she is able. This habit becomes more pronounced during moments of intense stress or emotional turmoil. Regrettably, this has led to her becoming substantially overweight, and it's difficult for her to engage in extended periods of physical activity. In addition, she's constantly tormented by horrific dreams of AW1 and the Curious Mr. Crowley's demise. It's rare for Sammy to sleep more than a few hours a night unless she's blackout drunk. Lastly, the way Samantha was raised makes her easy to manipulate and her guilt over past events has only made this worse.
Samantha Raynor's life began in the usual way. Born on March 5th, 1993 to Gina and Thomas Raynor, she seemed destined to be nothing more than the daughter of an anxious, meek father and a bullying, loud-mouthed mother. Gina's dream was to have her daughter become an Olympic gymnast like she'd almost been. And nothing would stop her from making this vision a reality. Sammy's days were filled with school, homework, and a rigorous training regimen intended to keep her in the best shape possible. In truth, the young girl was more interested in reading stories and watching old news reports about the activities of the famous Second Division. She must have watched The Fall of the Cult of Desecration, a movie depicting the division's battle against Desecration, at least twenty times before she was eight.
It wasn't until her ninth birthday, when her family was visiting Plant City to enjoy the Florida Strawberry Festival, that everything changed.
In the festival's lackluster midway area, Sammy found herself drawn to a game of four cup shuffle run by a gray-haired man with horn-rimmed glasses and a constant smile on his face. The stranger introduced himself as the Curious Mr. Crowley, a tourist from London hoping to taste the sweetest and juiciest strawberries in the world. And to eat as much strawberry ice cream as he could stomach. There was an immediate bond between this charming British man and the inquisitive Sammy, and she was eager to try her luck at four cup shuffle. The rules were simple. Four cups and two rings. All the nine-year old needed to do was figure out which cups had rings underneath. Shockingly, she guessed correctly. His eyes twinkling merrily, the Curious Mr. Crowley handed Samantha her prizes: an octagonal ring of the finest onyx and a hexagonal ring of citrine. The Ring of Shadows and the Ring of Flames. Clasping the child's tiny hands in his large, scarred ones, the elderly Englishman told Samantha he was quite pleased and, if she still wanted to be a hero, he might be able to help her. He would send her a letter when she was older and wait for her response. If she was no longer interested then she needn't reply.
Time passed as it so often does and the Third Division, in what was to be their finest hour, ended North Korea's dreams of conquest during World War III. With her mother focused on sending her to a college that wouldn't interfere with her gymnastics, Sammy's life didn't feel particularly different. And then she received a letter from the Curious Mr. Crowley on July 5th, 2011. According to this letter, Samantha was a "Marked One," a psychic with specific but formidable abilities. Abilities that could change the world around her in ways both great and small. The Curious Mr. Crowley wanted to train the young psychogenerative and possibly submit her to the recently formed Fourth Division as a potential member. In light of the recent war, Samantha's parents were concerned about sending her outside the United States to meet some man she hardly knew. Surprisingly, it was Gina who, after reading the letter several times, declared this might actually be a brilliant idea. Sammy was ecstatic, but her father was concerned. In all their years of marriage, Gina had rarely changed her mind...unless she stood to benefit in some way.
Despite her father's misgivings, Samantha boarded a plane and flew to London to meet Mr. Crowley at his palatial estate just outside the city. He introduced her to his only other student, the glory-obsessed but gallant Stefan Anderson, and gave the young psychogenerative his grimoire, which contained a list of mantras and techniques to help her channel her gifts properly. Alistair explained that Sammy was "marked by flames and shadows," and the rings he'd given her as a child would strengthen her powers. There was a method, however, called "Crowley's Method," that would separate Samantha from all the other superheroes and heroines with psychic abilities. First, you speak a channeling mantra, a phrase composed of psychically reactive words, in order to awaken your gift and delineate what you want to accomplish. After the mantra was spoken you would channel your willpower through your foci. The Rings of Shadows and Flames served this purpose admirably. Forcing a torrent of psychic energy through these objects was safer than simply lashing out with raw, uncontrolled power, though it was also harder.
Samantha remained in London for two years until the winter of 2013 when a group of Marked Ones attacked Walt Disney World of all places. Supposedly, an ancient and powerful foci was hidden beneath Cinderella's Castle, and the so-called Third Cabal intended to claim it for themselves. Unfortunately, the Fourth Division was too busy trying to deal with the re-emergence of the Cult of Desecration to attend to this minor issue. Deciding to test his new students, the Curious Mr. Crowley, accompanied by Stefan and Samantha, flew to the United States to deal with these rogue psychics. The Emerald Witch, Voldo, and the hideous He Who Watches All were defeated and imprisoned after a lengthy battle, which ended with Walt Disney World closing for nearly twelve years. Still, the Curious Mr. Crowley, Stefan, and Samantha prevailed. It was after this momentous battle that the Gray Man gave Samantha her "hero name" since he knew she didn't want her true identity to become public. For her family's sake. He dubbed her Kazara the Masked Magician after the woman who'd opened his eyes to his own gifts.
After briefly returning to the United States in 2014 to reunite with her parents, the Curious Mr. Crowley presented Kazara to the Fourth Division. Desperate for aid against the Cult of Desecration's madness, the leaders of the group accepted her, though the Gray Man convinced them to let Samantha continue training while assisting the division. Despite realizing all her dreams, however, something changed as Kazara returned to London to resume her tutelage. The media swarmed all over this mysterious young woman in a silver mask and, despite the warnings and rebukes of her teacher, Samantha fell headfirst into the dangerous mire of television talk shows, commercials, and partying with celebrities. Stefan, her closest friend at this point, encouraged this behavior and ensured she enjoyed every event she attended. Even if this meant skipping lessons to do lines of cocaine in some random celebrity's mansion. As her popularity in London skyrocketed, Kazara often rode on her shadow disc between England and the United States alongside her master and Stefan to help the Fourth Division deal with the Cult of Desecration.
And then the Fourth Legion disbanded after the world realized what Sung Jin Lee had done.
While hiding in Mr. Crowley's estate to avoid persecution, Kazara received a surprise visit from her parents. Gina told Sammy she needed to come home. Not because she was afraid of what might happen if someone found out she was a psychogenerative. Gina was convinced the Masked Magician could change the opinion of the entire United States. She was a fresh face, more known in London than in America. After agreeing to try it and accepting her mom as her talent agent, Sammy nervously returned to the United States, leaving a furious and worried Mr. Crowley behind. Surprisingly, Gina's father and several of his close friends were movie producers at Redwood Studios. They were already talking about making a trilogy of movies about this new psychogenerative, an untainted soul standing strong in the face of Sung Jin Lee's ruthlessness. Commercials, more talk shows, and constant partying became the norm yet again. While the overall attitude towards gifted men and women didn't change, the viewing public saw this lovely, charming new superheroine as a beacon of hope in these dark times. If Kazara was popular in London she was revered in certain parts of the United States. Of course, the stress of being a psychogenerative celebrity in a time when her kind were barely tolerated drove Kazara to embrace excess. Slowly but surely, her lifestyle began to take a toll on her body and her mind. While she eagerly joined the Fifth Division when it formed in August of 2018, Kazara's priorities were painfully obvious. She was more interested in doing her new status as a cultural icon than helping people.
Egged on by her manipulative mother's urging, Samantha slowly stopped caring. The Curious Mr. Crowley visited her often and tried to continue training his wayward pupil, though a brutal argument ended their relationship in 2021. And then the aliens came.
All Fifth Division members, now called the Sixth Division, gathered to battle the alien menace and Kazara was forced to go. What would her adoring public think if she didn't participate in the coming battle? The fighting progressed slowly and horribly. Each day saw the loss of more and more division members, which took a serious toll on the Masked Magician. While she'd been peripherally involved with the war against the returned Cult of Desecration, this was different. This was personal. It wasn't until that final, awful battle in Canada that Samantha Raynor realized just how far she'd fallen. Mr. Crowley and White Hat were pinned down by several aliens, calling out for Kazara to help them. She flew towards them on her shadow disc and suddenly...stopped. Fear, mind-numbing fear washed over and the aliens obliterated the Curious Mr. Crowley. With a scream of terror and guilt, Samantha fled for her life and didn't stop until she was back home in Orlando, Florida. That was Kazara's main contribution to Alien War 1.
After her less-than-triumphant return home, Sammy realized things had changed while she'd been away. Her mother, a cruel smirk on her face, told her daughter she intended to divorce Thomas. Furthermore, Gina had also taken the rights to the name and image of Kazara away from her out-of-control brat of a daughter. Gina's grin grew even wider as she opened the door to the family home, revealing a living room packed with reporters. Reporters who now knew Kazara's true identity. The name "Samantha Raynor" quickly became a byword for cowardice, the consequences of excess, and falling from grace. Traumatized by recent events, Samantha checked herself into rehab and emerged in 2022 only to find herself penniless and forgotten. The world only cared about Kazara and what she represented. Nobody cared about the woman behind the mask. Out of desperation, Sammy reached out to an old contact in Washington and was able to change her name to Kelsey Smith. She dyed her hair brown and did her best to hide from the world as well as any remaining division members.
A few weeks later, however, her father found Sammy in a local homeless shelter and offered her a place to stay. For the next two years, Thomas tried to help his shell-shocked and depressed daughter get back on her feet. Sadly, the loss of Mr. Crowley and the realization of her own cowardice scarred Samantha deeply. While she avoided doing drugs, Sammy quickly fell back on her oldest, dearest vice: drinking. Now, in 2024, the thirty-one year old psychogenerative finally feels ready to try getting a job and maybe, just maybe attempt to move on. Maybe. Even as the public celebrates the release of Kazara: The Beginning in theatres, Samantha is trying to forget the past. To lock it away just like she locked away Mr. Crowley's grimoire and her two rings.
Divisions Involved With: The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Divisions
Name/Title: Kazara the Masked Magician, will eventually become known as Torchlight due to her mother's ownership of the name Kazara
Before giving up her life as a superheroine after AW1, Kazara's costume consisted of a blue gymnast's leotard, black slacks, and black boots. She also wore a dark blue hoodie from time to time, but her face was always concealed behind a smiling silver mask. The psychogenerative never allowed her face to be seen in public no matter how drunk or high she was. Luckily, Stefan Anderson, also known as White Hat, was willing to help her maintain her secret identity despite his love of the limelight. Of course, the Masked Magician would be nothing without her two foci, the Ring of Shadows and the Ring of Flames. The Ring of Shadows could always be found on Kazara's right index finger while the Ring of Flames adorned her left one. Since her return to Orlando with her father, however, this costume has lain untouched in the bottom of "Kelsey Smith's" closet alongside a locked strongbox containing Alistair Crowley's grimoire and her two rings.
The Ring of Shadows-An octagonal ring made of pure onyx, which is one of the most psychically reactive materials in the world. Alistair Crowley claims to have found this potent foci inside an Egyptian tomb deep within the Valley of the Kings. Since the Gray Man only possessed the gifts of hemokinesis and electrokinesis, he kept the ring safely locked in a vault beneath his London estate until he stumbled upon a nascent Marked One who was "marked by shadows." That Marked One was a young Samantha Raynor. The Curious Mr. Crowley gave Samantha the ring and trained her in its use over several years. While wearing the Ring of Shadows, Sammy's innate ability to psychically manipulate shadows is greatly strengthened and she can actually create shadows where there aren't any. This is a very draining process, however. Without the boost provided by this foci, the Masked Magician must use whatever naturally occurring shadows are within her line of vision. It should be noted that Samantha can still use umbrakinesis without the Ring of Shadows. The foci just makes her already formidable gift more potent.
The Ring of Flames-A dull, hexagon-shaped citrine ring that once belonged to the mysterious villain known only as He Who Watches All. The Curious Mr. Crowley took this foci from the villainous psychogenerative in 1990 during a raid on his stronghold in Germany's Black Forest. This ring was also given to Samantha Raynor by the Gray Man when she was young since he couldn't use it. Using its power, the former superheroine's gift for controlling fire with her mind is amplified and any flame under her control turns a brilliant shade of blue. She can also conjure flame from nothing, though this is much harder to do than simply using a readily available fire. Again, Samantha is still capable of astonishing pyrokinetic feats when not wearing the Ring of Flames.
Alistair Crowley's Grimoire-A black, leather-bound journal containing pages and pages of notes about everything from channeling mantras to a delicious recipe for fried chicken. This book was given to Samantha Raynor by the Gray Man when she first visited him in London. Crowley's Method is also thoroughly explored in the crinkly, yellowed pages of this chapbook. Essentially, imagine trying to bend a spoon with your mind. Instead of pummeling the spoon with your telekinetic abilities, the Curious Mr. Crowley believed it was necessary to meditate until you discovered a mantra for bending objects. Then and only then could you bend the spoon. Over the years, Sammy added her own mantras and thoughts to this journal, though she hasn't touched it in over two years.
Trademarks: Smiling silver mask, one orange and one black ring
"I can hear the drums now, y'know? Nice an' loud. There's killin' ter be done an' that's a fact."
-Quote attributed to Red Myra
Name: Myranda "Myra" Tavellan [Meer-an-duh Tuh-vell-en], also known as "Red Myra"
Race: Elf
Age: 216 years old
Nationality: Whitestone Village, The Empire of Tolos
Occupation: Conscript, bandit, and former captain of the White Hands mercenary company
Religion: While she claims to worship the Tolosi gods, nobody has actually seen Myranda pray.
Myranda Tavellan is an unusual-looking elf. Standing at an imposing 6'2", the elven berserker is heavily muscled and covered in scars of every shape and size imaginable. Her lean, hungry face, which might have been beautiful at one point, is marred by three nasty scars that barely avoid her brown eyes. Half of Myranda's right ear has also fallen victim to the ravages of her bloody lifestyle, and she scratches at the scabby remnants from time to time. A tangled mass of dark brown hair frames the warrior's battered face like a curtain trying to hide some hideous sideshow attraction. The elf's nose is also decidedly crooked and her smile is full of gaps. Perhaps in hopes of mitigating the impact of her ominous appearance, Myranda is always slightly hunched yet even her shoulders, broad and powerful as they are, suggest this isn't some pampered Tolosi aristocrat or beloved elven servant. Normally, the mercenary wears a white lion skin cloak over her shoulders despite the odor of blood and sweat clinging to the ratty garment. Two long, muscular arms extend down from Myranda's shoulders and end in a pair of rough, callused hands. While Red Myra doesn't normally wear gloves, every now and again she'll produce a pair of black iron gauntlets from her travel-stained knapsack. These gauntlets have tiny bronze spikes set into the knuckles. Needless to say, being punched by Myranda while she's wearing her gauntlets is only slightly less amusing than being punched by Myranda without her gauntlets.
Moving past her small bosom, Myra's stomach is toned to the point where she appears malnourished like a wolf that hasn't hunted in weeks. Considering how often her meals consist of alcohol and whatever she can find nearby, this isn't surprising. Wide hips and powerful, long legs complete the image of an elf few people want to piss off. The sellsword can usually be seen wearing a studded leather chestpiece over a greasy linen undershirt along with black iron leg-guards as daywear. She almost always has her spiked buckler strapped to her back unless she's forced to remove it. A simple leather belt wraps around the hired blade's waist and her sheathed black iron longsword hangs from it. A wineskin, which is always full, and several pouches also dangle from the berserker's belt. Each of these pouches has been dyed a different color so Myranda can quickly find whatever item she needs. For example, her blue pouch contains an old wooden pipe adorned with worn images of prancing reindeer while her purple pouch is bursting with wraith leaves, Myranda's tobacco of choice. Last but not least, the elf's black iron sabatons appear to fall apart a little more every time she puts them on.
Myranda's personality is as unnerving as her appearance. She doesn't actively seek the company of others, but she can be surprisingly pleasant when approached. Especially if she's approached with a tankard of Etruscan ale. Courage, determination, and a love of anything crass, obscene, or irreverent make her an interesting traveling companion if not the most loyal one. Despite her boisterous behavior, however, there are times when the elf will fall into long spells of silent, almost melancholic, contemplation. Her thoughts often wander down the old, painful roads to the experiences that shaped her into the woman she is today. Still, the berserker tries to live in the moment and hates spending a great deal of time dwelling on the past. She finds her pleasures where she can whether it's the simple joy of walking down an unfamiliar road or the wonderful burn of dwarven spirits. Of course, when the opportunity for wantonness and excess arises, the mercenary is only too happy to take full advantage. The nastier and fouler the deed the more likely she is to do it. These antics notwithstanding, Myra does try to do what she believes is right. Usually.
On the other hand, Red Myra's demeanor completely changes when she gets angry or finds herself in the midst of armed combat. There are those among the elf's few friends who believe Myranda's "normal" behavior is merely a facade, hiding the truth of a woman desperately struggling to control herself. To keep herself from her one, true addiction. The addiction of shedding blood and inflicting pain on other people. Myranda might claim she's trying to be a better person, but there's always a savage joy in her eyes and a smile on her face when battle is joined. And thanks to over one hundred years of experience Myranda is an incredibly skilled, not to mention vicious, fighter. Still, rumors persist that she has a hard time telling friend from foe when she's fully enraged. There are also certain individuals who are convinced Myra has become some kind of death-seeker, waiting for the day when someone puts an end to her brutal, chaotic life. Some even suggest the sellsword is mentally unsound since she constantly talks about hearing drums when she fights. Even when there aren't any drums to be found on the battlefield. Regardless, Red Myra's deep, rasping voice has been the last thing many warriors have heard before their souls were sent howling into the afterlife.
Myranda was born in the winter of 3434 to an impoverished earthroot farmer named Eldrath Tavellan. She spent the first twenty years of her life living in her father's small shack, which was about half a day's journey from the border separating the Empire of Tolos from Coromis. Just to the north of the Tavellans' home, Whitestone Village sat as pretty as any rural painting crafted by renowned Tolosi artist, Atilian Kalivas. Young Myra always looked forward to the days following the harvest because her father would hitch the family oxen to their rickety wagon and take the year's crop to the village market. While most of the money they made was spent ensuring Eldrath had enough liquor to last the rest of the year, some of the coin went towards things like a basic primer on the Tolosi tongue and even an old, battered atlas depicting the entirety of the Empire. These items became some of Myranda's most treasured possessions, and she often dreamed of leaving the monotony of her father's farm behind. Of course, suggesting such a thing was guaranteed to send Eldrath into one of his rages, which always ended with Myranda bleeding on the floor and him staggering off to find another bottle of whiskey. Another topic the two elves never discussed was what happened to Myra's mother. Despite these moments of brutal unpleasantness, however, the Tavellans lived a simple, peaceful life on their farm and nobody bothered them much. Who would be interested in the affairs of the village drunk and his young daughter?
And then the Battle of Havendall ended with the Empire of Tolos suffering its first defeat in recent memory.
Thankfully, Whitestone Village's small size meant it wasn't drawn into the conflict. Unfortunately, the battle between the Imperial legions and the allies of God-King Oromis would have far-reaching consequences beyond the formation of the Etruscan League. On the eve of her twentieth name day, when elves were said to have reached the "age of reason," Myranda came in from a hard day's work in the fields to find her father waiting for her, a knife clutched in his hand. Wordlessly, the old farmer pointed towards Whitestone Village and his daughter peered curiously out the window. Whitestone Village was ablaze and Myra's sharp eyes could barely make out the fleeing specks of villagers running for their lives.
One of the numerous mercenary companies hired by the remaining Tolosi highborn to guard the border separating them from the Etruscan League had decided to do some "foraging." Foraging, in this case, meaning looting, burning, and pillaging in hopes of supplementing the pittance their employers were paying them. It was like something out of a nightmare. Inevitably, the rogue mercenaries made their way south and stumbled upon the Tavellan farmstead, their eyes shining with delight as they set fire to the earthroot crop and savagely butchered Eldrath's oxen. Myranda has never spoken to anyone about what happened next, but her father was slain by Captain Kurdan Sokolov, the dwarf in charge of the rapacious sellswords. Instead of sending Myra to join her father in the afterlife, however, the captain gave her a place at his side, calling her his "lucky charm."
Thus, Myranda Tavellan joined Kurdan's Sabers, a mercenary company comprised mainly of Coromics, Tolosi deserters and traitors, and even a few lunatics. The company was being paid by a small coalition of Tolosi nobles to guard the frontier they now shared with both the Etruscan League and the Republic of Jadis to the south. Luckily, or unluckily as it were, the only real threat to the Empire was from the Jadisi since Oromis' war had been taxing on both the Etruscans and Imperials, who were content to lick their wounds for the time being. For the next thirty years, Myranda was raised by Captain Kurdan and his three hundred "loyal" cut-throats, learning lessons practical and wildly impractical unless you happened to be a soldier of fortune. Basic arithmetic, how to read and write, and even the basics of single sword combat were all part of her training regimen. In the year 3484, however, the First Border War began, though it wasn't a war so much as it was a series of skirmishes between the Empire of Tolos and the Etruscan League. Each nation wanted to expand their boundaries by driving back the military forces of the opposing country. After nearly forty years of constant bloodshed, the so-called "Years of Sorrow" ended and the First Border War concluded with a draw, though there were still small pockets of resistance to be found. Kurdan's Sabers, along with the Blue Plume Brotherhood and Half Moon mercenary companies, spent another ten years locked in a vicious struggle with a group of Etruscan fanatics calling themselves the Children of God.
It was during the spring of 3550 that the Battle of Ursol's Spine occurred. Pinned down behind the ridge bearing the same name, Kurdan's Sabers managed to carry the day and ultimately crushed the Children of God completely. The losses, however, were staggering and Kurdan lost his right eye during the conflict. The wound soured quickly, and the venerable dwarven sellsword began to descend into feverish madness. Myranda had only recently celebrated her 100th name day, and she was now considered an adult in the eyes of her people. She spent the next fourteen years watching over the dwarf, who'd been more of a father to her than Eldrath, as he grew weaker and weaker. Meanwhile, several would-be usurpers attempted to wrest control of the Sabers away from Kurdan only to be cast down by their equally ambitious companions. It seemed as if Kurdan's Sabers were doomed to fracture without their charismatic leader. And then the dwarf's health began to improve, though he was still weak. It seemed as if he might pull through despite his grievous injuries.
Until, on a cold morning in winter, Myranda and Captain Kurdan met for their daily sparring session for the first time since he'd been wounded. During the bout, the elven woman "accidentally" ran the dwarf through with the black iron longsword he'd given her for her 100th name day. This marked the first time Myranda was ever referred to as "Red Myra."
Several of the older and smarter mercenaries, having decided to put aside their differences in the name of controlling the company, saw how skilled Myranda was and how intimidating the other sellswords found her. Capitalizing on this, and wanting to place a figurehead in the captain's seat so they could lead without being blamed for any missteps or losses, these sellswords claimed that Myra had "earned" the right to be called captain. To the shock and disbelief of this so-called Inner Council, Myranda proved to be a strong, decisive, and competent leader, embodying all of Kurdan's positive traits with only one major flaw. She seemed to crave violence like an alcoholic craves strong drink. Under the pretense of removing Kurdan's supporters from the company, Myra purged the Inner Council and their allies before spending the next fifteen years recruiting more mercenaries to bolster the Sabers' ranks. She also changed the name of the company to the White Hands, a reference to Kurdan's habit of "keeping his thoughts black, but his hands white as driven snow." Meaning, he'd gorge himself on fine food and drink in his captain's tent far away from the battlefield while his men died in droves. It is worth mentioning that during this period, in the year 3534, Oromis emerged once again from obscurity but Myra's power wasn't consolidated enough for the White Hands to participate in the ensuing conflict. Besides, the Tolosi nobility were barely managing to hold out against the Etruscan League so they didn't have much time to worry about punishing wayward mercenaries. Of course, the White Hands still visited any town or city they stumbled across in order to "forage" for more food, supplies, and valuable loot.
After numerous conflicts, such as the Battle over the River Tamras and the short-lived Second Border War, Myranda's new Inner Council managed to convince the elf it might be worthwhile to approach the League's leadership for work. Not only were the Imperial forces far too scattered and weak to support the White Hands in combat, but their payments were starting to come later and later. Despite her misgivings about betraying her homeland, Red Myra visited a group of Etruscan lords the evening before the Battle of the Celebron Fields in the spring of 3578. She offered to change sides during the battle in exchange for a promise to ignore the company's previous Imperial loyalties. All she wanted was a chance to prove the White Hands could be an asset to the war-torn Etruscan League and its members. They agreed. The Battle of the Celebron Fields marked the first White Hands victory as allies of the Etruscan League. They spent the next fifty years ravaging the Empire's border on behalf of their new employers, and the gold was said to have flowed like a sweet, clinking river through the White Hands' encampments. Their reputation, and that of their bloodthirsty leader, reached epic proportions with songs and tales of their deeds reaching as far south as the Orkantor Desert. Everything was going marvelously despite the constant, nagging rumors. Rumors about how Myranda would just as happily butcher her own men as she would the enemy. Rumors about how easily she'd been convinced to betray the Empire of Tolos. Rumors about drums and insanity.
In the year 3630, a young Jadisi man named Pajaan Farimi was recruited by the White Hands after their triumph during the Second Battle over the River Tamras.
There was an immediate attraction between this clever, gallant southerner and Captain Myra, especially when he managed to bring Clan Lord Alexandros Miridon of Nerwains to the negotiating table. A close friend of Pajaan's elderly father, the leader of Clan Miridon wanted to hire the White Hands to watch the eastern reaches of his lands while he focused on dealing with several rival clans to the west. They would be paid in stacks of "Miridon gold bars," which was some of the finest, highest-quality gold in the entirety of Tverios. Myranda agreed and the papers of engagement were signed. The White Hands were now responsible for protecting the eastern border of Clan Miridon's holdings from the few remaining groups fighting on the Empire's behalf. They would occasionally receive support in the form of Clan Miridon soldiers, though they would largely be left to their own devices. Just the way Red Myra liked it.
Time passed and Myranda and Pajaan became lovers. Unsurprisingly, the elven mercenary eventually found herself with child. Pajaan had recently joined the Inner Council, mostly due to his unique position as the captain's lover, and he ensured nobody took advantage of Myra's condition. Strangely, roughly three months after Elanaria was born she was never seen or heard from again. What's more is neither Myranda nor Pajaan would speak about the child's disappearance. Some mercenaries even thought Myra looked confused when asked about her child. Shortly thereafter, Pajaan became Myranda's official second-in-command, though the two often disagreed and no longer slept together. A few weeks after Red Myra's 200th name day, Lord Miridon asked the White Hands to deal with a group of Imperial mercenaries making trouble near the isolated border town of Mervyn's Crossing. Little did Myranda suspect both Lord Miridon and Pajaan had laid a trap for her. When the White Hands showed up, in an eerie parallel to her deception at the Celebron Fields, Pajaan and the Inner Council took command and ordered the company to kill their captain. Greed, lingering resentments over battlefield "accidents," and fear of the Inner Council convinced the mercenaries to turn on Myranda. Evidently, Lord Alexandros was a racist of incredible proportions and hated the idea of his family's gold in the hands of a wretched Tolosi elf. The Clan Lord had convinced Pajaan to turn on his lover in exchange for a promise to help him claim the captain's seat. Aided by a regiment of Clan Miridon warriors, the White Hands chased Myranda through the thick, twisting foliage of the nearby Grimwood Forest. Before vanishing into the deepest part of the wood, Red Myra managed to cut off Pajaan's right hand. He would ever after be known as Pajaan "Goldenhand" Farimi since he replaced his missing appendage with one made of Miridon gold.
Disgraced and pursued, Myranda fled west and boarded a schooner bound for the home of the Mardochians, the Hamrock Isles. Surely the White Hands wouldn't chase her to a place where they had no power whatsoever. For a few years, the elf tried to find any islanders willing to hire a scarred sellsword, though her reputation hadn't followed her from the mainland. She was a nobody. Desperate and unwilling to return to her roots as a simple peasant, Red Myra turned to banditry in order to survive. As the years passed, the name "Red Myra" was once again spoken in hushed voices by merchants and those they paid to guard their caravans along the rocky roads of the isles. A monstrous brigand, some claimed, who ate the flesh of her victims. A murderer without conscience. A fighter more savage than any in the known world. Inevitably, at the age of 216, Myranda was finally caught by the City Guard of Taranidorn and clapped in irons. Instead of being hung immediately, however, she was given a choice. The choice any criminal captured in the last few years has been given. Swear her loyalty to the newly returned God-King Oromis or die. It wasn't really much of a choice for someone as steeped in blood as Myranda. For now, she's joined the God-King's army as a conscript but her true motives are anyone's guess.
Magical Artifacts: None
Motivation: Myranda seems to be consumed by her desire to destroy the two men who betrayed her: Clan Lord Alexandros Miridon, her most recent and most treacherous employer, and Pajaan "Goldhand" Farimi, her former lover and second-in-command. Since these turncoats both serve the Etruscan League, Myra figured joining Oromis' forces meant she'd have plenty of opportunities to deal with them. It was also better than the alternative, which was death by hanging. At any rate, once she kills these two traitors Myranda supposedly plans to regain control of the White Hands and lead them to victory alongside the God-King's other allies. The truth is much simpler, however. Myranda wants to die a glorious death in battle because the last one hundred years have shown her the awful truth. She's become addicted to killing. She cannot stop. Myranda knows the chances of dying while in Oromis' service are quite good. In truth, she's counting on it.
THE FORLORN HOPE PLATOON
-Trooper Vladimir "The Artist" Mogdan-A gray-haired dwarven sellsword employed by the Gray Winds mercenary company, originally hails from the nation of Coromis and is a devout worshiper of Geishra the Flame God, acts as the Forlorn Hope platoon's cook and can make delicious meals with few ingredients, his belief that battle is an art and his axe acts as a razor-edged paintbrush has earned him the nickname "The Artist"
-Trooper Larius Pyral-An elderly Tolosi sellsword sworn to serve the Gray Winds mercenary company, Captain Elias has asked him to serve as Lieutenant Tavellan's bugler and personal assistant, has a very loud voice and is one of the finest archers in the Forlorn Hope platoon
ASSORTED GRAY WINDS MERCENARIES
-Major Aliden Bayaz-A Tolosi major in the Gray Winds mercenary company, was raised by his grandfather after his father was slain by bandits, rightfully blames Myra's White Hands for the death of his grandfather during the Siege of Fort Angharad
THE HAMROCK ISLES
-Dagmar Colwen-A Mardochian innkeeper in the city of Taranidorn, owns Colwen's Bunkhouse and slept with Myranda Tavellan after a night of excessive drinking
-Thond "Sweet Thond" Kassis-A Jadisi thief forced into serving the God-King's armies after being caught by the Taranidorn City Guard, a skilled tiles player and a friend to Myranda Tavellan
-Padric Roche-A Mardochian barkeep in the city of Taranidorn, owns the disreputable Loyal Hearts Tavern and claims to serve the finest ale in the Hamrock Isles
THE WHITE HANDS
-Captain Pajaan "Goldenhand" Farimi-A Jadisi sellsword and member of the White Hands mercenary company, Myranda's former lover and second-in-command before he betrayed her at the Battle of Mervyn's Crossing, currently leads the White Hands and serves Clan Lord Alexandros Miridon of Nerwains, Myranda cut off his right hand during the Battle of Mervyn's Crossing, he replaced his hand with one made of solid gold, rumored to hold a sila stone known as the Stone of Memories
THE ETRUSCAN LEAGUE
-Clan Lord Alexandros Miridon-A Nerwainish clan lord with holdings in the southeastern region of his peoples' kingdom, leader of Clan Miridon and one of a few men who know the location of a mine containing the highest quality gold in Tverios, a ruthless and dangerous racist who will stop at nothing to protect his territory, has signed papers of engagement with the White Hands mercenary company and often lends them aid in battle
THE DEAD
-Captain Kurdan Sokolov (Deceased)-A dwarven sellsword and leader of the Kurdan's Sabers mercenary company, served the remnants of the Empire of Tolos for several years, led his men on a "foraging excursion" that resulted in the destruction of Whitestone Village in the year 3464, killed Eldrath Tavellan and destroyed his farm but spared his daughter's life, Myranda became Kurdan's "lucky charm" and came to view him as the father Eldrath had never been, was wounded during the Battle of Ursol's Spine in 3550 and lost an eye during the conflict, managed to recover from a severe fever brought on by his injuries, was killed by Myra during one of their morning sparring sessions, Myranda was covered in Kurdan's blood after this incident and became known as "Red Myra"
It's done. Dear God, it's massive but it's done. The backstory might be a bit squiffy but I had alot of ground to cover since Kazara/Torchlight has been involved with several divisions. Let me know your thoughts and I'm looking forward to getting this RP going.
